Featured Research

from universities, journals, and other organizations

Free Treatment Still Too Costly For Buruli Ulcer Patients

Date:

October 14, 2008

Source:

Public Library of Science

Summary:

Researchers have found that the fight against Buruli ulcer, a tropical skin disease, has hit a bump in Central Cameroon. Even as organizations provide free-of charge hospitalization care, patients' economic and social costs are preventing and delaying the treatment.

Share This

Researchers have found that the fight against Buruli ulcer, a tropical skin disease, has hit a bump in Central Cameroon. Even as organizations provide free-of charge hospitalization care, patients' economic and social costs are preventing and delaying the treatment.

Related Articles

Buruli ulcer disease is caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, part of the bacteria family that also causes tuberculosis and leprosy. The disease is present in over 30 countries, according to the World Health Organization, with the heaviest impact in Western Africa. The disease is characterised by long-lasting, hard-to-heal skin lesions which, in serious cases, can lead to amputation and deformities. Despite free treatment, hospital abandonment (patient abandonment by their families, and patients' abandonment of treatment) is a recurring problem.

To help determine the cause of this pattern, a study was carried out in Central Cameroon by PASS International. The research shows that the extra costs of transportation to the hospital, the earnings lost while caring for the patient, and other hidden expenses leave families needing to reduce or cut off all ties with their hospitalised family members. Over half (62%) of all patients at the time of the study were abandoned at the hospital due to the extra costs, which accounted for 25% of yearly earnings. With this in mind, many victims of Buruli ulcer either cease treatment before being healed or simply avoid seeking treatment in the specialised centres altogether.

This dynamic of abandonment is a serious issue, the authors say, because it jeopardizes the health of the victim and can lead to devastating future consequences such as deformity, disability, and loss of livelihood resulting in impoverishment.

The study concludes that bringing medical care closer to the victims could significantly reduce the social and economic burden of the disease. Since the time of the study, Leprosy Relief Emmaus-Switzerland, in close collaboration with Cameroon's Ministry of Health, has taken steps towards decentralisation of treatment, consisting of the early detection of the disease at the community level and antibiotic treatment at local health centres to reduce hospitalisation time. The evaluation of this decentralisation process could provide further insight into ways of improving patients' access to efficient treatment in low-income settings.

More From ScienceDaily

More Health & Medicine News

Featured Research

Mar. 3, 2015 — New assays can detect malaria parasites in human blood at very low levels and might be helpful in the campaign to eradicate malaria, reports a new study. An international team led by Ingrid Felger, ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Adults over the age of 30 only catch flu about twice a decade, a new study suggests. So, while it may feel like more, flu-like illness can be caused by many pathogens, making it difficult to assess ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — No significant change in home habits of smokers have been observed in the aftermath of a ban on smoking in public spaces, researchers report. Greater inspiration to kick the habit likely comes from ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Heart function has been associated with the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease through a new study. Participants with decreased heart function, measured by cardiac index, were two to ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Children of recently separated or divorced families are likelier to drink sugar-sweetened beverages than children in families where the parents are married, putting them at higher risk for obesity ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Gastric bypass and similar stomach-shrinking surgeries are a popular option for obese patients looking to lose weight or treat type 2 diabetes. While the surgeries have been linked to a decreased ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Most people consume more salt than they need and therefore have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, which are the two leading causes of death worldwide. But a new study reveals that dietary ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Twice as many children born to mothers who took antibiotics during pregnancy were diagnosed with asthma by age 3 than children born to mothers who didn’t take prenatal antibiotics, a new study has ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Although sedatives are often administered before surgery, a randomized trial finds that among patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia, receiving the sedative lorazepam before ... full story

Featured Videos

Mom Triumphs Over Tragedy, Helps Other Families

AP (Mar. 3, 2015) — After her son, Dax, died from a rare form of leukemia, Julie Locke decided to give back to the doctors at St. Jude Children&apos;s Research Hospital who tried to save his life. She raised $1.6M to help other patients and their families. (March 3)
Video provided by AP

Looted and Leaking, South Sudan's Oil Wells Pose Health Risk

AFP (Mar. 3, 2015) — Thick black puddles and a looted, leaking ruin are all that remain of the Thar Jath oil treatment facility, once a crucial part of South Sudan&apos;s mainstay industry. Duration: 01:13
Video provided by AFP

Woman Convicted of Poisoning Son

AP (Mar. 3, 2015) — A woman who blogged for years about her son&apos;s constant health woes was convicted Monday of poisoning him to death by force-feeding heavy concentrations of sodium through his stomach tube. (March 3)
Video provided by AP

Related Stories

Nov. 4, 2014 — Climate change may affect human health directly or indirectly. In addition to increased threats of storms, flooding, droughts, and heat waves, other health risks are being identified. In particular, ... full story

Aug. 6, 2014 — A disease prevalent in developing countries could be spread by the changes in rainfall patterns according to a new study. Buruli ulcer affects thousands of people every year, mainly in developing ... full story

June 19, 2014 — Lesions in patients with Buruli ulcer, a tropical disease, have been the focus of recent study. Investigators show that, despite the extent and severity of these wounds, they are less painful than ... full story

June 18, 2010 — Buruli ulcers, one of the 'neglected tropical diseases' left aside by big pharma and governments alike, are reasonably well treatable, also in poor regions. But then more attention has to ... full story

Apr. 19, 2010 — A research team from Japan demonstrated gender differences about the clinical features and risk factors of low-dose aspirin (LDA)-associated peptic ulcer. They suggest that special attention should ... full story

ScienceDaily features breaking news and videos about the latest discoveries in health, technology, the environment, and more -- from major news services and leading universities, scientific journals, and research organizations.